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. 2015 May 20;5(5):e007806.
doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2015-007806.

Multiple sclerosis course and clinical outcomes in patients with comorbid asthma: a survey study

Ali Manouchehrinia  1 , Laura J Edwards  2 , Homayoun Roshanisefat  3 , Christopher R Tench  2 , Cris S Constantinescu  2
Affiliations

Multiple sclerosis course and clinical outcomes in patients with comorbid asthma: a survey study

Ali Manouchehrinia et al. BMJ Open. .

Abstract

Objective: To determine if comorbid asthma is associated with accumulation of multiple sclerosis (MS)-related impairment and disability.

Method: We sent a comprehensive questionnaire to a cohort of patients with MS and examined the association between comorbid asthma and reaching Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores 4.0 and 6.0. Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale (MSIS-29) scores were compared between patients with MS with and without comorbid asthma.

Results: 680 patients participated in our study of whom 88 (12.9%) had comorbid asthma. There was no difference in the prevalence of asthma between our MS cohort and the England general population (OR: 0.89, 95% CI 0.68 to 1.17). We did not observe a significant association between having asthma and the risk of reaching EDSS scores 4.0 and 6.0 (HR: 1.29, 95% CI 0.93 to 1.77, and HR: 1.33, 95% CI 0.93 to 1.89, respectively) after controlling for confounders. Patients with MS with asthma reported higher level of psychological impairments (coefficient: 2.29, 95% CI 0.1 to 4.49).

Conclusions: Asthma is a prevalent condition among patients with MS and it may contribute to the psychological impairment in MS. Although we did not observe significant association between comorbid asthma and physical disability in MS, it seems that the two conditions influence one another.

Keywords: EPIDEMIOLOGY.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Kaplan–Meier graph showing A, time to expanded disability status scale (EDSS) score 4.0, B, time to EDSS score 6.0 by patients’ asthma status.
Figure 2
Figure 2
A box and whisker diagram illustrate median and IQR of mean overall Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale 29 (MSIS-29), Physical MSIS-29 and Psychological scores.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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